“Toward a
More Elegant Attention” was composed on a walk I like to take through downtown
Columbus, along an area called the Scioto Mile (on the Scioto riverfront).
There are small, beautiful seating areas along the meandering path. My
favorite things are these bench swings (think park bench + porch swings). This fall
has been very full of projects, and taking weekly long walks has helped to keep me
sane, and inspired. During one such walk, I was noticing everything more
closely – the oranges and reds of the trees, the smell of leaves in the air,
the scuffed up concrete, the dog owners walking with their dogs. The more I
looked, the lovelier things became, even the not-beautiful things. The ordinary
is elevated by our attention — certainly one reason art is valuable.